Intel has outlined a plan to accelerate new mobile device experiences across the company’s growing portfolio of smartphone, tablet and ultrabook offerings.
The announcements included a new smartphone platform for emerging markets, details on a forthcoming 22nm quad-core SoC for tablets, and more personal and intuitive ultrabook devices in innovative convertible designs were announced by Mike Bell, VP and GM of the Mobile and Communications Group, and Kirk Skaugen, VP and GM of the PC Client Group at Intel.
“The best of Intel is coming to a mobile device near you,” says Skaugen.
“We are set to deliver the biggest increase in battery efficiency in Intel’s history with fourth generation Intel Core processors, while adding broad new human interfaces to computing devices through touch, voice, facial recognition, and gesture-based interactions. We’re also significantly extending the performance and power savings in Atom processors as we accelerate our mobile offerings in an unprecedented fashion in 2013.”
Building on the progress first detailed a year ago at CES, Intel unveiled a new low-power Atom processor-based platform (formerly “Lexington”) and smartphone reference design, targeted at the value smartphone market segment, which industry sources predict could reach 500-million units by 2015. Customers announcing support for the platform include Acer, Lava International and Safaricom.
The new platform brings Intel’s classic product strengths to this fast-growing smartphone market segment, including better performance for quick Web browsing, and an improved multimedia and Android applications experience.
“The addition of the low-power Atom platform enables Intel to address new market segments and further rounds out our expanding portfolio of smartphone offerings,” says Bell. “We believe the experience that comes with Intel Inside will be a welcomed choice by first-time buyers in emerging markets, as well as with our customers who can deploy more cost-conscious devices without sacrificing device performance or user experience.”
The new value offering includes many high-end features including the Intel Atom processor Z2420 with Intel Hyper-Threading Technology that can achieve speeds of 1,2GHz, 1080p hardware-accelerated encode/decode, and support for up to two cameras delivering advanced imaging capabilities, including burst mode that allows people to capture seven pictures in less than a second in 5-megapixel quality. The platform also includes the Intel XMM 6265 HSPA+ modem that offers Dual Sim/Dual Standby capability for cost-conscious consumers.
Bell also highlighted the forthcoming Intel Atom Z2580 processor platform (formerly “Clover Trail+”) targeted at performance and mainstream smartphones. The platform includes a dual core Atom processor with Intel Hyper-Threading Technology, and also features a dual-core graphics engine. He said the new platform will deliver up to two times the performance benefits over Intel’s current-generation solution (Intel Atom processor Z2460 platform), while also offering competitive power and battery life.
Speaking to a robust product roadmap and growing ecosystem of tablet and tablet convertible devices running on Intel technology, Bell reinforced the wide range of tablet designs based on the Atom Processor Z2760 running Windows 8 now on shelves and online from OEMs such as Acer, ASUS, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Lenovo, LG and Samsung. More tablet designs are scheduled to ship over the coming weeks. Enabling a mobile, connected and full Windows 8 experience, the Atom platform boasts all-day battery life and is more power- efficient than competitive offerings.
He also unveiled details about the company’s next-generation 22nm Atom SoC, codenamed “Bay Trail”, which is already booting and scheduled to be available for holiday 2013. The first quad-core Atom SoC will be the most powerful Atom processor to date, delivering more than two times the computing performance of Intel’s current generation tablet offering. It will also include new improved integrated security offerings. These improvements will enable new experiences for business and personal use in devices as thin as 8mm that have all-day battery life and weeks of standby, all at lower prices.
“With Bay Trail we will build on the work done with our current SoC development and accelerate very quickly by leveraging Intel’s core computing strengths,” Bell says. “We will take advantage of the tremendous software assets and expertise at our disposal to deliver the best products with best-in-class user experiences.”
Intel recently announced that it has added a new line of processors to its forthcoming fourth generation Intel Core processor family targeted at about 10 watt design power, while still delivering the excellent performance people want and need.
At CE, Skaugen announced that the company is bringing the low-power line of processors into its existing third generation Intel Core processor family. Available now, these chips will operate as low as 7 watts, allowing manufacturers greater flexibility in thinner, lighter convertible designs.
Currently there are more than a dozen designs in development based on this new low-power offering and they are expected to enable a full PC experience in innovative mobile form factors including tablets and ultrabook convertibles. The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S ultrabook and a future ultrabook detachable from Acer will be among the first to market this spring based on the new Intel processors.
The fourth generation Intel Core processor family enables true all-day battery life — representing the most significant battery life capability improvement in Intel history. Skaugen disclosed that new systems are expected to deliver up to nine hours of continuous battery life, freeing people from some of the wires and bulky power bricks typically toted around.
“The fourth generation Core processors are the first Intel chips built from the ground up with the ultrabook in mind,” Skaugen says. “We expect the tremendous advancements in lower-power Core processors, and the significant ramp of touch-based systems will lead to a significant new wave of convertible Ultrabooks and tablets that are thinner, lighter and, at the same time, have the performance required for more human-like interaction such as touch, voice and gesture controls.”
During the event, Skaugen also demonstrated new adaptive AIO systems that have a battery built into the screen and can be picked up and easily moved around the home or office as needed. Adaptive AIOs are high-performance computers with large touch-enabled screens that can be used as a multi-user touch gaming system, or as an interactive art creation device, as well as for many other shared, in-person experiences.
Pictured left: Kirk Skaugen, vice-president and GM of Intel’s PC Client Group delivers a keynote address at CES in Las Vegas.